NBGD - Vik Fanned Fret 7 - vid inside

[Fred the Shred]

My friend Felix (got_tone around here), knew I was most curious about the guitars Vik makes, so he kindly lent me one of his own to fiddle with, for which I'm most thankful.

First off, the sheer beauty of this thing is something I can simply state that no pics will do justice to.

This axe is fitted with Vik's own pickups, with wooden covers, and they sound quite natural and warm. The action was too low for me (think "strings glued to fretboard" ), and after a setup, she started singing beautifully, and has immense sustain. Note separation is, as expected on a fan fret, great and the birdseye maple board works great in terms of giving the guitar some very welcome snap to the attack.

Without further ado, here are some pics:

And here's a vid with her and my Blackmachine B7 in tandem, as I really felt this one complemented her just great:


I hope you guys enjoy!

 

[JP Universe]

Sweet axe. Specs?

 

[IB-studjent-]

great vid, and that pic ! From za Huff meister ?

 

[AngstRiddenDreams]

Good god that top, and back, and everything!!!!

 

[aWoodenShip]

The battery pack, is there an active preamp or some sort of eq boost on it?

 

[TimSE]

Yummy!

 

[IB-studjent-]

The battery pack, is there an active preamp or some sort of eq boost on it?

Piezo

 

[Fred the Shred]

Nope, the battery is from the piezo (which I didn't use on the vid, as the song doesn't require it), as is the 3-way mini-toggle.

And yes, it's a Huf white drop pick, which has elicited many a Mentos joke already...

Specs, as found on Felix's NGD thread are:
* · 24 frets(bellbronze), 25-27"
* · Black limba body
* · Burl maple top
* · Rosewood neck(5piece)
* · Bird's eye fingerboard with compound radius
* · Custom pickups(vik)
* · Gotoh SGl510 locking tuners (21:1 gear ratio)
* · ABM 7 individual bridges with piezo(ghost preamp)
* · SS fretwire
* · Flame maple/ebony bindings
* · Gotoh 2 way truss rod
* · 1 CTS 500K pot, 1 push-pull for coil split
* · 3 way blade switch
* · Switchcraft long type input jack(jem style)
* · Schaller straplocks
* · Gotoh knobs
* · Buffalo bone nut
* · Satin natural finish

He's fiddled with the frets and straplocks (DiMarzio Cliplock now), IIRC. Anyway, for great piccage of this guitar by the Vik-meister himself, here's the thread:
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/2514494-post1.html

 

[SirMyghin]

The do indeed compliment eachother quite well. The Vik sounds a like it has less presence, and a roundness that really brought out the leads better than the rhythm. The BM in your hand seems a lot edgier, more suited to your style/music (my opinion of course), but stronger on the rhythm (compared to the Vik) from my perspective.

SS frets >> Evo frets anyway. Nothing tops SS frets in my magical world.

 

[Fred the Shred]

The BM is a cannon, and a very unforgiving guitar - you slack, she tells. Very dynamic, very resonant, and sharp, merciless attack in spite of the warm tone.

The Vik is more forgiving in a the sense that she has more evident warmth to the attack, thus less "snap", but she won't let you slack as Vik chose to get a very dynamic and articulate pair of pickups for it.

 

[purpledc]

Man, I really really liked the Carbon fiber guitar that highgain510 has but this really really has me thinking I like it better. Im just a sucker for really nice wood grain and this one has it in spades.http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/members/highgain510.html

 

[Bouillestfu]

Fred is so amazing that he chose to play his new Vik's with a Shark Tooth! One step away from Chuck Norium! Amazing axe, although the headstock is not my cup of tea mostly anything Vik does with his bodies has me fanboyed!

 

[technomancer]

Loved that guitar when it was first posted, still love it now

 

[DoomJazz]

You do realize that you have to do a small comparison of the blackmachine vs the vik...

 

[Sluntlunt]

Loved your music.

 

[leonardo7]

Great video, song, playing and guitar! This thread has it all! Vik makes such incredible looking guitars.

 

[aWoodenShip]

Piezo

Ahhh, that too makes sense. Thanks!

 

[noizfx]

Nice video and two amazing axes!

I have a different question, however, which is about the white drop pick...

I have three ......... picks, one being the Jazz III type, and another original black gem, as well as a black gem prototype that never went on the website. The Jazz III one played nicely but I'm having problems with the other two thick picks, where they would make that "chink" sound whenever it hits the strings, no matter what picking angle I have or anything I do, as soon as I let the pick hit the string, it'll make that high pitched chink, even if I just slowly "place" my pick on top of the string... with hi-gain distortion of course...

Do you get that with the white drop? Understanding that white drop was a limitied edition pick, but I assume it'd be the same as a drop drop? Thanks!

 

[guy in latvia]

The Vik is more forgiving in a the sense that she has more evident warmth to the attack, thus less "snap", but she won't let you slack as Vik chose to get a very dynamic and articulate pair of pickups for it.

I would assume that's because of the rosewood neck, which are known for a very warm and smooth sound.

 

[Fred the Shred]

...and the set neck, in combination with that, hence the wise choice of a bright fingerboard wood, which will lend a quick, snappier attack.